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Category Archives: Travel Therapy

What attracted you to a travel therapy career?

I wanted to do something in my career that is challenging, interesting and makes a difference. You deal with many different aspects, and I enjoy the routine. Dealing with different families and helping them through a difficult time is a good feeling.

Procrastination is no one’s friend. You probably know a fellow traveler who has had plans change due to a missed urine test or delayed response to a phone interview call-back. Avoid those and other procrastination mistakes with these three quick tips to stay on schedule for your first, or next, travel assignment.

ASK QUESTIONS

For first-time travelers especially, it can seem like your recruiter is throwing a lot of to-do items your way. Avoid becoming overwhelmed (or worse, late) by Read more »

A question we often hear is, “How far away from home should my assignment be in order to qualify for the tax-free housing stipend?“

Tax-free stipends are only available if 1) you have a permanent tax home and 2) you are working far enough away from your tax home that you need to get a second residence (hotel, apartment, long-term stay, etc.) and 3) are duplicating expenses. If you go to work and then drive home to sleep at your tax home every night, you do not qualify for the stipend.

Travel healthcare trends ebb and flow and what was law in recent years is never guaranteed to continue. Here’s what to watch this year.

THERAPY

PDPM approaches. We don’t yet know exactly how the Patient Driven Payment Model will impact travel therapy needs. Clients are still learning what it means for their facility and permanent therapy staff. We expect a large number of skilled nursing facilities Read more »

We hear ya. The joy of graduating with a therapy degree is quickly overshadowed by the student loan debt that follows most graduates into the full-time workplace. Our therapy recruiters get asked a lot of questions about the financial benefits of travel. And there is certainly a financial upside!

Generally, travel therapists make 25 to 40 percent higher pay (thanks to tax-free stipends and urgency for your help and expertise to fill department needs) than in a permanent position. Living within your means and finding the lowest cost housing available during travel assignments all contribute to the bottom line. If you can make the commitment to travel for at least a few years while putting that extra take-home pay towards your principal loan balance, it will help you achieve freedom from student loan debt potentially years sooner than making minimum payments. It’s a success story we’ve been thrilled to see many of our travelers achieve.

If you recently graduated or will graduate soon, Cariant’s therapy recruiters are knowledgeable resources on the financial benefits of travel therapy. You can contact our team to learn more, or take the next step and see what locations are open and get started on your career path to debt-free living.

We know the relationship with your recruiter is one of the more important parts of a successful travel career. At Cariant, you work with one recruiter regardless of where in the U.S. you want to travel. The longer you travel with us the stronger your relationship with your recruiter becomes. They are your advocates on the road. And they work hard to make sure their travelers are informed and happy.

Ghosting, an act we may categorize as something that only happens when “retiring” personal relationships, has shifted to the professional space as an employment trend. It’s on the minds of many HR and recruiting professionals. And unfortunately, it’s on our radar as well.

Culturally acceptable it may be to “ghost” an individual to end a friendship or relationship, ghosting does not belong in the travel therapy and travel nursing industry.

Most travel contracts are 13 weeks in duration. That may seem like a long period of time… until you recall how often you hear exclamations of how fast the year went by. When you’re moving around the country up to four times a year and trying to squeeze in as many memorable moments as you can, those 13 weeks will fly by!

It’s essential to make a plan, or at least write out a travel bucket list, in advance of each contract so you’re less likely to miss an experience. This is especially true if your plan is never to extend a contract. Read more »

Why is it okay for a hospital to cancel a contract, but not for me?

Contract cancellations are a risk of travel. But travelers typically receive two weeks to 30 days’ notice for your recruiter to line up another assignment. Travelers who receive notice directly about a cancellation clause being utilized should contact their recruiter immediately to look at options.

Cancellations usually only happen because the facility filled a permanent position or experienced an unexpected low census. It’s a financial decision, Read more »